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Why Nickle and Diming Amtrak Won’t Save It Money
I’ve seen this before, and it didn’t go well the other times it was tried. Congress is pressuring Amtrak to “save money” again. This is particularly true on food service and long distance trains. We will likely see Amtrak raising prices and cutting back on food service. We will continue to see Amtrak running shorter…
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Santa Barbara Train Day
Although Amtrak will not be sponsoring National Train Day this year RailPAC, together with a number of local groups, is continuing the tradition at Santa Barbara. Train Day will take place Saturday May 9th at the historic depot. County Supervisor Salud Carbajal will emcee the event and State Senator Jackson and Mayor Helene Schneider are confirmed attendees. The…
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Overview of the March 27 San Joaquin JPA Board Meeting
Outlined below are some key takeaways I found noteworthy from the March 27th San Joaquin JPA Board meeting: The Fresno City and County presentation was an overview of the new 2-year pilot Thruway bus initiative linking Fresno with Yosemite National Park and Fresno with Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park. This 2-year pilot project is…
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What Online Ticketing can Mean for Rail Travel
For the last few years Amtrak has had online ticketing. This means that when you get your “ticket” from an Amtrak agent, you actually get a piece of paper with a bar code. You could also print out such a “ticket” at home online with Amtrak on your computer. On the train the conductors carry…
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Everybody Loves Trains: Just not in Their Back Yard!
When proposing a new High Speed Rail project, everything looks so sweet and simple when talking about artist’s conceptions and lines on a map. But as soon as property owners see those lines going through their property, then things stop looking so easy for promoters of High Speed Rail.
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Could a Grilled Cheese Sandwich Help Save Amtrak’s Food & Beverage Service?
As we say on the radio, “but first….” Two major Amtrak-related items have occurred this winter. First was the cutbacks in long distance train consists in January and February. Second was the U.S. House of Representatives actually passed a bill, and it was one that affected the future of Amtrak and what its customers will…
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Norwalk-Santa Fe Springs Metrolink Station: Future Intermodal Center?
The Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs Station is roughly half way between downtown Los Angeles and Anaheim.
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Challenges Facing the Next CEO of Metrolink
There is a job opening for the next head of Metrolink which will be filled soon. Only those who seek challenges need apply. Metrolink has many problems, and some of them have been festering for years and ignored. Here is a short list of them.
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Jim Hartnett tapped to head Caltrain agency
A regional search committee Wednesday selected Jim Hartnett as the new head of the San Mateo County Transit District (SMCTD) effective March 30. Hartnett, a former Redwood City councilman and board chair of the California High-Speed Rail Authority, will take over as the new general manager and CEO of the Peninsula-based transportation agency in the…